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Sheila Shares

Exercise “Toys” You Already Own

Founder of The Oaks at Ojai

Staying fit doesn’t mean you must spend bundles of money on exercise equipment. You may already own the basics for a good workout without spending anything.

The truth is, I was brought up to be thrifty and even after lots of years I still try to make the most of financial resources. It makes sense to budget our resources. As an entrepreneur, I know that’s good business. So here are some suggestions for homemade exercise equipment:

The truth is, I was brought up to be thrifty and even after lots of years I still try to make the most of financial resources. It makes sense to budget our resources. As an entrepreneur, I know that’s good business. So here are some suggestions for homemade exercise equipment:

*Like the aerobic exercise of using stair steppers? Use a flight of stairs. If you’re like too many adults, you take the escalator or elevator rather than the stairs, but you also miss a quick way to build strength and burn calories. If you don’t have stairs in your home, check out the mall or your office building. Go up and down the stairs as quickly as you’re comfortable doing. Use the handrail if you’re concerned about balance.

*Like to lift hand weights? You can lift cans of unopened soup or bottled water. You can do many typical weight lifting exercises with unopened, or tightly sealed, plastic containers of juice that have sturdy handles. A colleague recently told me how she recycles empty water jugs, adding sand to appropriate weights for a workout. I have heard of others using fresh-from-the-bag kitty litter sand for the same thing. Find out what your “weights” weigh and then begin a progressively challenging routine.

*Want to work out at a fitness center? Any carpeted area can become a gym. Always wear cushioned shoes and make sure there’s good ventilation such as a fan or an open window. If you haven’t done a stretch or yoga routine in your backyard, why not try the pleasures of homemade outdoor workouts. At the spa when the weather is perfect, we often take the classes outside.

*Need an outdoor training area? Your backyard, the neighborhood or the pool area at a hotel can be turned into a training area IF you have enough room to walk around. Turn on some music or sing and march in place or briskly do laps. These might not be the fanciest spots for exercise, but they could be the best solution if you’re starved for fitness and can’t go to a class or gym.

• How about:
• *The kitchen counter to hold on to for push aways (standing push ups)?
• *Tennis balls to squeeze to build muscles in the hands for tennis and golf?
• *A broom to hold while building your ability to balance doing yoga postures?
• *A vacuum cleaner or lawn mower to push briskly for an aerobic workout?
• *Baby’s stroller for a cardio workout, with baby happily secured inside?
• *Cycling track? The blocks around your home? Be sure to wear that helmet.
• *The local schoolyard and the basketball court for a one-on-one with you and a basketball? The high school track for fitness walking?
• *Your bed for a thorough stretch every morning and evening? Simply tighten and relax all the major muscle groups throughout the body. Then lying on your back, pull your knees to your chest, hugging them close. Hold for a count of five and then release. Repeat if this feels comfortable.
• *Your cat? Yes, mimic your cat and on the living room floor to do cat stretches. On a padded surface, such as the living room carpet, bend down on all fours. Contract your abdominal muscles and arch your back, just like a cat. Hold that arch for a count of five, relax and repeat.

You may have everything you need right around your home and neighborhood to get a good workout. Yes, you’ll need to be creative but it’s worth it to stay fit for life.

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Sheila Cluff, fitness expert, television celebrity and owner of The Oaks at Ojai, is the author of Take 5: How You Can Benefit from Just Five Minutes of Daily Exercise and The Ultimate Recipe for Fitness by Sheila and Eleanor Brown. Visit Sheila's Spa on the Internet and see all that's happening at the resort: The Oaks at Ojai www.oaksspa.com.